The financial future and status quo lifestyle of individuals, families, and the church as an institution, are on the brink of undergoing a paradigm shift. If we do not start making changes willingly, soon we will have to make changes reluctantly. The following are the underlying problems that exist in our society that I believe will soon bring this about.
- Governments have adopted a fiat currency system that is based on debt rather than a physical commodity such as gold. For it to continue to function, it must continually borrow more into existence which is to be paid back by it’s citizens in the future with interest. This model is unsustainable and only serves to enslave those who have to work for a living. Prices for real goods and services, under this system, continue to go up while wages remain stagnant.
- Government and household debt levels are the highest that they have ever been. Our society runs on cheap credit and consumerism. This cheap credit has encouraged more spending rather than saving and when debt levels become stretched to the limit and interest rates return to normal levels, debt obligations can no longer be honored. This will result in a domino effect that will impact the economic and social structure of the world.
- Pension funds are unsustainable. The money that we depend upon as we reach retirement age is being compromised. There are too many people at or near retirement age, but too few working people available to fund the current pension plan. The returns needed to adequately fund pensions can’t be found in so called “safe” investment vehicles and speculative ones are being substituted.
Families are under great economic pressure. We’re working ourselves to death so that we can buy; houses bigger than we need, fancy new cars whose purpose should be to get us from points A to B, food that is factory farmed and unhealthy, and “gadgets” that we don’t really need, and break within a short period of time. As family units come under this increasing economic pressure, so will the church structure, which is dependent on a continual infusion of money from it’s members to keep it functioning. When families are no longer able to support themselves, there will be little left to support a money dependent church structure. As Christians, we need to become proactive and start working together now to implement solutions before it becomes too late, and all we can do is become reactive.